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What is the difference between success and failure in an international executive search? This article will show you what factors could cause your international executive search to fail.

There is an inherent business risk in any executive appointment. However, this risk is particularly high when recruiting international executives: In addition to the general requirements that all executives must meet, there are specific cultural and country-specific factors that international executives must adapt to.

Which factors are the most critical for success? How can the right fit between leader and role be secured? As an international executive search firm, we have been filling international key positions for 27 years. During this time, we have seen countless real-life examples of what matters for leadership appointments across borders.

We’d like to offer you our tried-and-tested approach and best advice in this blog post. You can find more information on international management appointments in our report under the same name, which is available as a free download here:

Why are the usual international search methods becoming ineffective?

Perhaps you have already successfully recruited international management talent in the past. However, what used to be a surefire way of identifying the right leaders for challenging international projects has become a game of chance in most cases.

Many deciding factors for success or failure today are not taken into account in the usual approaches to international executive search. Let's take a critical look at this:

Exclusively deploying expats:

• Little or no experience in the target country
• Always need to be supported by locals in the team
• Alienation from "home" and the company management there
• Bring their family with them, who must also adapt to the country
• Will return to their home country at some point, and the problem will arise again

Your own talent acquisition team

• Initial lack of knowledge regarding culture, laws and market conditions
• Must develop and maintain access to top talent in each country individually
• Must establish a strong employer brand locally before excellent candidates can be interested

Using an executive search consultant in the country of origin

• Usually no network in the target country
• No (or only superficial) knowledge of the target country and its culture
• No prior rapport-building with candidates in the target country means less chance of receiving applications

Using an executive search consultant in the target country

• Finding the right consultant across national borders is tricky
• Large service providers are not always ideal; at the same time, it is difficult to judge the quality of smaller ones
• Often limited knowledge of the country of origin, which can lead to cultural problems with the company management

Relying on recommendations

• It is questionable if the candidate is actually the best fit available
• Cannot be planned; often lacking when they are most urgently needed
• Not scalable; only suitable for individual cases but not for hiring an entire team
• Not every recommendation is suitable and can waste valuable time and resources if the person recommending doesn’t fully understand the role to be filled

These 5 challenges make the difference between success and failure

Every sub-optimal management appointment can have devastating consequences: projects come to a standstill, strategic goals are missed, and confidence in decisions diminishes.

However, compared with conventional executive searches, the search and selection of international candidates present a range of unique challenges and complications. The following pitfalls can quickly lead to a vicious circle of problems if not carefully addressed at the outset:

Challenge No. 1: The right fit in every leadership dimension

The success of any management appointment depends on how well the manager matches with the position. In international appointments, the likelihood of critical gaps being overlooked is particularly high.

Challenge No. 2: Cultural differences

The small details of everyday working life can quickly become sensitive and disruptive when different cultures come together.

Challenge No. 3: External conditions

The way the market operates, and the laws of the specific country dictate the conditions for doing business there. Even the most experienced manager can take a tumble if they don’t have the necessary expertise.

Challenge No. 4: Reporting and decision-making channels in the company

Not only does the manager need to be effective on-site but they need to be able to interact and work smoothly with the company management back home.

Challenge No. 5: Attention and trust from top executives

You need the right reputation before the most qualified candidates are willing to respond to you. You must also gain the trust of any top executive before they will engage with you and place their trust in you.

Meeting all these challenges requires your full attention, a high level of experience, and a robust international network. There are good reasons why international corporations have whole departments to take on the search for their leaders.

The deciding factor behind successful international placements

In 27 years of executive search – often on a global scale and across borders – at EO Executives we have repeatedly seen what makes the difference between failed and successful international placements.

All the positive examples had one thing in common: There was a Trusted Advisor on both sides of the cross-border placement process.

We have internalised this principle and based our EO process on it:

1. Requirements Analysis: EO Executives will meet with you to develop a customised strategy. At this stage, your specific project team is already defined so that you have specific contacts available at the outset – both in your home country and your target country.
2. Double Culture Check: Based on the requirements analysis, we contact potential candidates and select them for you using our scientifically based psychometric analysis. Our country experts ensure the right cultural fit – in both directions.
3. Interview: We support you to successfully plan, prepare, and conduct international interviews. We also provide translation and interpretation assistance if required so that your cross-border communication will be successful.
4. Contract/Placement: Your consulting team will help you interpret and negotiate contracts under foreign law and, if desired, support you to draw them up yourself. We support both sides and intervene to clarify any discrepancies.

The Authors

Every cross-border management appointment is a highly critical endeavour. The manager has to be professionally competent and must be a good match with your company in every respect. This is not easy, but even complex executive search assignments can be successfully mastered with the right strategy. We would be happy to help you.

About EO Executives – Results through people

Our extensive international experience means we know what it takes to work across borders. Our company was founded in the UK in 1997 and has been present in several countries since 2004. Every day we work, learn and grow together across cultures.

Our mission is to help our clients build the best leadership team they have ever had. That’s why our motto is "Results through people". We believe people are the driving factor behind organisational success. Executives in particular play an important role in this.

Our consultants are international themselves. Having gained experience in responsible management positions, they know how difficult it is to be successful on a global scale. They also know that a single person can’t hope to fully cover all the facets of a complex project.

This is how our unique way of working, the EO Way, came about: